This summer, embark on a historic journey through time with our Youth Summer Camps at the Texas Historical Commission’s state historic sites! Immerse your young historians in a unique blend of education and adventure, where the past comes to life.
Our curated camps offer hands-on experience, allowing campers to step back in time and discover the rich heritage of Texas. Each historic site becomes a classroom, fostering a deep appreciation for our state's unique history.
Explore the offerings of camps in the list below and let the adventure begin! To register for camps, please call or email the site directly. Join us in preserving the past and shaping the future at Texas State Historic Sites Summer Camps.
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Bush Family Home Summer Camp
June 25-27, 9 a.m.–noon
Join the Bush Family Home for a half-day camp. Learn about history in the 1950s, the election, and be President for a day. There will be crafts, games, and fun filling all three hours of each day.
- Ages 6-10
- $72 per child
- (432) 685-1112
- Email bushfamilyhome@thc.texas.gov
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Adventures in Nature: Family Land Conservation Camp
May 4-5, June 1-2, June 8-9, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
During a six-day creative STEM family experience, community partners and families will explore Caddo Mounds and engage with five different ecosystems. Families will explore land conservation through STEM activities and the arts. Food will be provided. Parent (or legal guardian) will accompany children. This camp is offered through a partnership with the High Desert Museum as part of a National Science Foundation Grant Sustaining STEM.
- Ages 8-11
- Free to attend, limited to 10 families
- (936) 858-3218
- Email caddo-mounds@thc.texas.gov
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Camp Bexar
June 12-14, 7:30 a.m.-noon
Camp Bexar is a half-day summer camp. Here, campers will participate in activities and learn what life was like in Tejano San Antonio. Campers will also visit the Bexar Heritage, the Bexar County Cleer's Spanish Archive, and Main Plaza.
- For incoming 6-8 graders
- $25
- (210) 226-4801
- Email casa-navarro@thc.texas.gov
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Camp Cattalo Family Camp
July 10-12, 9 a.m.–noon
Explore cowboy culture at Camp Cattalo Family camp. Each day will have a different focus so make plans to attend all three days. Tuesday is Cowboy/Chuckwagon Day, Wednesday is Native American/Bison Day and Thursday is Ranch Life Day with all activities relating to the daily focus. Come join us as combine fun activities with a deeper understanding of the American West's rich history and culture. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
- $3 per child, $5 per adult per day
- (806) 670-5627
- Email goodnightranch@thc.texas.gov
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Camp Eisenhower
June 12-14, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Over three days, campers will explore facets related to President Dwight Eisenhower, including art, science and space, and presidential hobbies. These activities will give students a glimpse into a historic figure and facilitate greater connections to the history in their own communities.
- Ages 8 to 12
- $25 per day, or $60 for all three days
- (903) 465-8908
- Email eisenhower-birthplace@thc.texas.gov
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Milky Way Photography Workshop
June 7-8, Classroom Session starts at 2 p.m.
Field Session starts at dusk Wish you had some quality instruction to help get past the learning curve of Milky Way photography? Come learn from professional photographer Lynn Cromer during our two-day workshop that includes both classroom and field sessions.
- Ages 12 and up. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
- $10 per day
- (325) 762-3592
- Email ft-griffin@thc.texas.gov
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Drawing from the Past: Camera Lucidas
August 1-3, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This three-day art-based summer camp introduces attendees to the camera lucida, a historic drawing aid. Campers will learn the history of the apparatus, how it is used, and then will use camp-provided camera lucidas and supplies to create art using Fort McKavett as the backdrop. This camp is geared toward the novice artist, but all are welcome to attend. Supplies and camera lucida are provided for use during camp.
- Ages 8 and up with parents encouraged to attend with their children.
- $50
- (325) 396-2358
- Email ft-mckavett@thc.texas.gov
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Escape the ordinary and explore the rich tapestry of Texan heritage at French Legation with Texas Heritage Summer Camp for Adults. This immersive summer camp takes place on select Saturdays throughout the summer, from 10 a.m. to noon, allowing you to reconnect with the past while embracing historical arts, crafts, and trades that continue to enrich modern life. Beginning this May, registrants can come for one or all of the day camps and travel back in time without ever leaving Austin.
- (737) 226-1454
- Email frenchlegation@thc.texas.gov
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S.E.A. Camp (Summer Experience in Aransas)
June 23 – August 1, 9 a.m.–noon
Experience the best of Aransas County during this weeklong camp, where each grade level will go on local field trips around the area. Trips include the Fulton Mansion, Goose Island, as well as enjoying Captain Whitney's Traveling Tank and Water Day!
- Organized by grade level:
Week 1 (June 23-27) - Pre-K and Kinder
Week 2 (July 7-11) - 1st and 2nd Grade
Week 3 (July 21-25) - 3rd and 4th grade
Week 4 (July 28-Aug 1) - 5th grade. - Free to Aransas County residents. $50 for out-of-county residents
- (361) 729-1271
- Email fulton-mansion@thc.texas.gov
- Organized by grade level:
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Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill will be offering on-site experiences on the history and nature at these sites in exclusive partnership with other camp providers including the Randolph Recreation Center, Camp Lonestar, and Pine Cove Summer Camp.
- (979) 968-5658
- Email KBMH@thc.texas.gov
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Landmark Inn Summer Camp
June 8, 15, 22, 9 a.m.–noon
Over three Saturdays, students will engage in activities designed to help them better understand historical concepts, connect with nature, and learn about the various buildings on the site. Campers will enjoy historical tours, nature walks, animals, art, and historic foodways.
- Ages 8 to 15
- $25 per day or $60 for all three days. Children may be dropped off or accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- (830) 931-2133
- Email LandmarkInnStaff@thc.texas.gov
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Spatulas and Storytelling: A Kids' Cooking Camp Unveiling Culinary History
June 27-29, 9 a.m.–noon
Join us for a camp of cooking demonstrations and storytelling as we explore the Levi Jordan Plantation's history. Your little one will get hands-on experience cooking while exploring the cultural importance of food, as well as being able to hear a presentation and stories by renowned folklorist, Donna Ingham, author of Tales with a Texas Twist!
- Ages 6-12
- $40 for all three days
- (979) 798-2202
- Email levi-jordan@thc.texas.gov
Archeology Summer Camp
June 6-8, 9 a.m.–noon
Join archeologists from the Levi Jordan Plantation to learn all about archeology. By participating in hands-on activities, campers will learn what archeology is, how it helps us learn about the past, and how artifacts are created and used. Activities will include mock lab investigations, mock excavations, and more!
- Ages 10 and up
- $50 for full session
- (979) 798-2202
- Email levi-jordan@thc.texas.gov
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Longhorn Intelligence–Campfire Stories and Cattle Handling Demonstration
June 1, 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Campers will attend a cattle handling demonstration with part of the State of Texas Longhorn Herd and Herd Manager Dr. Will Cradduck at the cattle pens at Fort Griffin, at 1 p.m. Campers will then attend the campfire stories about unique longhorn behaviors and intelligence in the Fort Griffin campground in the later afternoon, at 3 p.m.
- Ages 10 and up, campers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
- $3 per youth. $4 per adult
- (325) 762-3592
- Email ft-griffin@thc.texas.gov
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Teddy Bears and Fairies
June 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate the history and magic of teddy bears and fairies. The morning will begin with a teddy bear picnic where refreshments will be served on the lawn under our trees as storytellers share the history of and stories about teddy bears. After lunch, guests will create fairy wings for themselves and their teddy bears using materials provided. All participants will be treated to a snack and fairy stories by our storytellers.
- Ages 5–10. Parents may stay or fill out a permission slip with contact information and return to pick up participants at the end of the day.
- $50
- (915) 533-5147, ext. 1002
- Email magoffin-home@thc.texas.gov
19th Century Tech
Jun-24–28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Do you wonder what it was like to grow up without technology? Join us at the Magoffin to explore what technology existed in El Paso after 1881. From phones, thaumatropes, stereoscopes, photography, printing, and all the way to chemistry sets and running water: tech was everywhere! It’s easy to take for granted all of these items that we use daily without a thought, but to kids in the late 1800s these were all the height of human ingenuity.
- Ages 11–14. Parents may stay or fill out a permission slip with contact information and return to pick up participants at the end of the day.
- $50
- (915) 533-5147, ext. 1002
- Email magoffin-home@thc.texas.gov
Cooking Basics for Kids
July 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Are you nervous about setting your child loose in the kitchen, because you are not sure that they understand the basics of cooking? Let us train them! Gloria Garza, our cooking expert and Cooking Class instructor, will teach participants food safety, measurements and beginning techniques that will allow your child to prepare snacks and easy-to-make recipes.
- Ages 5 to 10. Parents may stay or fill out a permission slip with contact information and return to pick up participants at the end of the day.
- $50
- (915) 533-5147, ext. 1002
- Email magoffin-home@thc.texas.gov
Cooking Bootcamp
Friday, July 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Your child is old enough to cook an egg, but now what? Let us expand their culinary horizons! Gloria Garza, our cooking expert and Cooking Class instructor, will teach participants advanced techniques and full recipes that will allow your child to prepare entrees and advanced recipes. After completion of this camp, your child will be able to prepare a full meal.
- Ages 11-14. Parents may stay or fill out a permission slip with contact information and return to pick up participants at the end of the day.
- $50
- (915) 533-5147, ext. 1002
- Email magoffin-home@thc.texas.gov
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Mission Dolores Summer Camp
June 4-7, Tue-Fri, 9 a.m.–noon
Explore the Spanish, French, and Ais peoples living at Mission Dolores. One day will be dedicated to archeology: means, methods, and outcomes and how this shaped what we understand about the area today and in the past.
- Ages 8-12
- $20 per child for the week
- (936) 275-3815
- Email missiondolores@thc.texas.gov
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Family Summer STEAM
Fridays, June 21, June 28, July 5, July 12, July 19, July 26, and August 2, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Join us in the Historic Nimitz Ballroom at 340 E. Main St. where kids will learn about the Pacific War and then participate in a hands-on activity. Topics include aircraft, morse code, periscopes, and more! Children must be accompanied by an adult. This is geared toward 4th-6th graders, though younger or older may still join in the fun! You can drop in at any time between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on select Fridays starting in June.
- 4th-6th graders
- Free
- (830) 997-8600, ext. 225
- Email info@nimitzfoundation.org
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Port Isabel Lighthouse Keeper Camp
Dates: August 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Experience the life of a modern-day Lighthouse Keeper and travel back in time nearly 500 years for stories of shipwrecks and rescues. Includes a treasure hunt.
- Ages 8-12 years
- $10 per camper per day
- (956) 538-1652
- Email info@copitx.com
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A Call to Arms!
June 6-7, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Join us for this special educational day-long program. Interpretive staff from Presidio la Bahía will lead participants through the reasons behind the Texian War for Independence, why men chose to join the Texian Army, and what life was like for them throughout the duration of the war. Using period accounts, reproduction 19th-century. Equipment, and period military manuals, campers will experience daily chores, period foodways, and military camp life that would have been familiar to Texian and Tejano volunteers in 1835-36.
- Ages 9-13
- $40
- (361) 645-3752
- Email presidiolabahia@thc.texas.gov
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Sam's Summer STEAM Series
Thursdays from June 20 to August 8, 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m.
Sam’s Summer STEAM Series is a one-hour program series that focuses on the science and art behind popular creations and people of the Victorian Era. Participants will learn about each theme and complete a hands-on experiment or craft.
- Ages 6-12
- $3
- (903) 647-6553
- Email sam-bell-maxey@thc.texas.gov
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Camp Time Travel: Back to the 1950s at the Sam Rayburn House
June 26–28, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This summer, travel back in time with the Sam Rayburn House! Join us as we host three mornings of activities taking lucky campers back to the 1950s. Each day is full of crafts, physical activity, and fun with a 1950s twist! Learn how to make modernist art and comic strips; discover binary code and how to extract DNA from a strawberry; help the Rayburn family fix up their farm; and much more! Children may be dropped off or accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Ages 8-12
- $25 per day. $60 for all three days
- (903) 583-5558
- Email sam-rayburn-house@thc.texas.gov
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San Felipe de Austin Road to Revolution
June 18-21, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
San Felipe de Austin played an important role on the road to the Texas Revolution and Independence. This story has been largely overlooked in the broader story of the Republic of Texas. Learn about the town's history from founding to revolutionary ideas, to the burning of the town during the Runaway scrape, and finally on archeology and the town's story today.
- Ages 9-13
- $40
- (979) 885-2181
- Email san-felipe@thc.texas.gov
Texas Heroes: Life in the Villa de Austin
July 9-12, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Learn about the people and trades that were part of everyday life in Austin's Colony in Mexican Texas. Each day will have activities focused on specific people like William Barrett Travis, Celia Allen, and Stephen F. Austin to name a few. Attendees will participate in a few hands-on trades like surveying, militia, and baking.
- Ages 9-13
- $40
- (979) 885-2181
- Email san-felipe@thc.texas.gov
Quill to Cover: Historic Writing and Printing
August 6-9, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Learn about making books from start to finish, starting with quills and ending with a small hardback book to take home at the end of the week. Each day is another step along the way to the hardback, from folding, to sewing, and even making book cloth. One day during the week will be spent with the historic press learning about setting type and the first book that was published in Texas in San Felipe.
- Ages 9-13
- $40
- (979) 885-2181
- Email san-felipe@thc.texas.gov
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Experience San Jacinto
June 24-26; July 22-24, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site presents “Experience San Jacinto,” a three-day summer camp program that immerses the participant in the history before the battle, the battle itself, and its aftermath. Through a variety of activities, crafts, and demonstrations, participants will follow in the footsteps of Texian and Mexican troops and experience for themselves the struggles of camp life during the Runaway Scrape and battle preparations at the Groce Plantation, culminating in the final battle at San Jacinto.
- Ages 9-17
- $25
- (281) 479-2431 ext. 321
- Email san-jacinto-battleground@thc.texas.gov
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Starr Family Home Steam Camp
Friday June 14, and Saturday June 15, 9 a.m.–noon
Have you ever wondered what people in the 19th century used before there were telephones or electricity in their homes? How did they get things done? Our two-day camp will give campers all the answers as they explore the different technologies of the 19th century that helped the Starr’s home run smoothly.
- Ages 9-11
- $15
- (903) 935-3044
- Email starr-family-home@thc.texas.gov
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Growing in the Garden
July 18-20, 9 a.m.–noon
If you're looking for summer activities for your little ones, look no further! We will be hosting a camp full of fun gardening activities. We only have 10 spots for this camp, so book your spot fast!
- Ages 5-9
- $10 per day, $5 discount for siblings
- (979) 345-4656
- Email varner-hogg@thc.texas.gov